"The distinction between the past, the present and the future is a stubbornly persistent illusion." ~Albert Einstein

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Best Friends Forever!

"Childhood is a short season."

Helen Hayes

Can you believe that my Grandpa Ken (center with the white hat on) is 13-yrs,-old in this picture? I can't. Maybe it's the overalls! I found this picture this morning and discovered a story, or the beginnings of one, scribbled on the back by one of my father's relatives.

It's dated 1919, Olalla, Washington. The kids' first and last names were written down, so I decided to have a little fun and see if I could find them in Ancestry.com.

Of course they were there! They were neighbors of my Grandpa Ken, on the 1910 census. So for at least nine years, those years we all refer to as our childhood, these guys (and gal) were buddies.

In nine years, from the date of the 1910 census 'til the timestamp of the photo, more children were born to all three families. Agnes, Grandpa Ken's mom, remarried. Those years, I'm sure, were etched on their hearts as the best time of their lives. Days packed with schoolwork, and chores around the house and the farm. Lazy Saturdays where they'd hang out and commiserate about their lots in life. At least that's what my friends and I did. And I'm incredibly grateful that my parents were busy being adults a lot of the time so that my friendships had the time and space to grow. I treasure my friends and the memories I have with them.

I'm moved today by the thought of how quickly time passes. And how children need to feel loved. I'm so grateful for my childhood friends. What a gift it is to have people to talk to, to laugh with, and to help you pick berries!

Family history is more than family. It's life and everything and everyone in it that adds color, texture, and dimension to one's soul. Most of our time is spent with our friends.

Did Ken and his friends keep in touch? I don't know. I sent a message and a promise to Ralph and Carl Culver's relative on Ancestry.com. A promise of a photo. A moment in time. Sometimes family history research gives you opportunities to make friends who are connected because of their ancestors, not by blood but by curiosity!

"Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for awhile and leave footprints on our hearts. And we are never, ever the same."

~Anonymous

I hope we all take the time to reflect on friendships past and present and maybe even take a minute to drop a line to say, "Hi! Remember when...?"

This is so cool, Betsy! It's great when we can share stories with friends and reminisce. It's even better when we can pass down stories for generations to come. With all the negativity around us, it's important to remember to revisit all the good time while not living in the past. I feel we need to share more messages of hope and joy like this because every generation thinks about the good old days but how about today? =o)This is so cool, Betsy! It's great when we can share stories with friends and reminisce. It's even better when we can pass down stories for generations to come. With all the negativity around us, it's important to remember to revisit all the good time while not living in the past. I feel we need to share more messages of hope and joy like this because every generation thinks about the good old days but how about today? =o)

Betsy, I hope you do find the relatives of your grandfather's friends. What a treat for them to get a photo of their grandfathers!

My twins are turning 13 soon. It's hard to imagine their grandchildren finding a picture of them with their friends nearly 100 years later. Amazing.

These days people move much more often. It's rare for people to live in the same house their whole lives. It used to be when people moved away they lost touch over the years. But now with email and Facebook, people are staying in touch and/or reconnecting.

Will my daughters' grandchildren look at their pictures on Facebook or on photo paper?

Hey Yomar! You came to visit! Thanks. My kids love stories about me, my husband, or themselves. Nothing connects us quicker and is more enjoyable than reminiscing about shared memories. Everyone has a treasure trove of funny, scary, and very entertaining things that happened with their friends and/or family. And that kind of entertainment is free!

Hi Carolyn! We've move a lot. I find t interesting how my children assign a certain place that we lived in as their favorite. It's always the house where their memories started. And no house can top that house.

As far as my granpa's friends' relatives go, Ancestry.com is a great place to connect. The problem is waiting for people to check and respond to their messages!

I was marveling yesterday that this picture of these 5 little kids was even taken, never mind saved and passed down for me to see. I love how we can take so many pictures these days and get a very good idea of a person's story from Facebook albums. I'm learning how important it is to keep those pictures in multiple places. Computers crash and there goes the collection unless you have a back-up.

And I, for one, am incredibly grateful for the technology that gives us the tools to stay connected. Thanks for your wonderful comment!